September 15, 2023 | ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT | By Michaela Ocko
Music has always been my escape from life. After the slightest inconvenience or trivial fight with my sister, I would slap my headphones on and hit play, warding off anyone who dared look in my direction. Blocking out the overwhelming world by blaring songs from my music collection was my specialty. I curated a playlist for every specific moment that I would possibly encounter, but I had yet to create one for college.
Since arriving to Colorado College, I’ve asked a few of my new friends for recommendations to compile my first college playlist. Because I am still creating deep connections with people here, I appreciated their willingness to share a piece of themselves with me. While I might be skeptical of my compatibility with some of my friends’ musical tastes, these songs are their songs of the summer.
Indie music is a genre I found myself returning to frequently this summer, and it appears my friends did as well because more than half of them added an indie pop or rock song to the playlist. One of those songs was “Fire for You” by Cannons, a band I knew nothing about. As my friend was describing this song to me, she began to dance with a bop to her head. We listened together and I instantly knew why she chose “Fire for You;” it emits an almost disco-like energy, but softer and smoother.
Continuing with the indie songs, the next suggestion was “Lemon To My Lime” by The Grogans. Now if the album cover isn’t a testament to itself (a childish caterpillar drawing surrounded by flowers), the song is a cheerful reminder of how youthful the summer can feel; all our adult responsibilities get pushed to the back burner. Those obligations are now coming back to haunt us as the school year begins. I enjoy the sweetness this song brings to the playlist.
The title of another recommended song is slightly unsettling, but I promise you will not regret listening to it. “Gooey” by Glass Animals teleports me to a place of delight. It was described by my friend as “the vibe during summer nights,” and I absolutely agree.
The next addition is a song most of you probably know: “Doses & Mimosas” by Cherub. If there is one song that I will forever associate with a somewhat cringey, teenage, coming-of-age movie, it’s probably this one. And while the song is no winged angel baby, it gives off more of a funky character, one that might be wearing sunglasses and rebelling against their parents.
The next song is also one that has a touch of adolescence. With the life changing Eras tour sweeping the country, obviously there was going to be a Taylor Swift song in this playlist. “Cruel Summer” was my other friend’s choice. As much as I hate to admit it, I have only recently become a Swift fan. As my friend expressed, Swift’s music evokes a sense of youthfulness in the listener that is hard to resist.
Last but not least, this couldn’t be a summertime playlist without a rap contribution, and what other than Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar’s, “family ties.” This song is one that I also found myself listening to frequently this summer, and just so happens to be the final song for the playlist. I appreciated the addition of this song because the playlist now includes many different genres.
While the New Englander in me was slightly disappointed at the lack of Noah Kahan song suggestions (“She Calls Me Back” is definitely my song of the summer), I loved the variety of songs my friends provided. Music is such an important aspect of forming friendships, and I can say with confidence that I feel closer to my new friends because of these songs. Now I have one more playlist to blast on full volume in my dorm room.
I hope you enjoy my friend’s songs of the summer as much as I do.